


Locked Out

by AimAim94



Series: Comfortember 2020 [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Depressed Tony Stark, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Peter Parker, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Uncle James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AimAim94/pseuds/AimAim94
Summary: “Friday will let me in.” Rhodey said with confidence, “Because I didn’t fly back for no reason.”Rhodey got to the tower and he was correct that Friday let him in but when he asked to be taken to the penthouse he hit a roadblock.“I apologize, but I am unable to honor that request per the boss’s orders.” Friday told him.“Override.” Rhodey told her, “Per the ‘Peter’s in trouble’ protocol.”
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Comfortember 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996336
Comments: 15
Kudos: 248
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	Locked Out

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Sunday!
> 
> I hope this weekend has been lovely for you. I hope you soaked in sunshine or got cozy under warm blankets. I hope that whatever you did brought you joy!
> 
> RANDOM FACT ABOUT ME: I love Christmas so I'm currently spending my free time prepping for that.

It was hard to care that his phone was ringing and that he hadn’t texted anyone back in days. He had told Friday to keep everyone out. He just wanted to be left alone. He knew something was wrong deep down because he hadn’t showered in days and he didn’t have the motivation to do so.

He had a stack of dishes in the corner of his room because he had been too tired to take them to the kitchen and handle them properly. He hadn’t shown up for any work meetings, or been down to the lab. He just laid in bed all day in a puddle of sadness trying to find the will to keep living. 

Did everyone feel this way in life or just him? Was there something so broken about him that he couldn’t find what it took to be grateful for what he had? So many people had it so much worse than him.

Tony’s phone was ringing for the sixth time in an hour, “Fri. Can you silence that? I don’t want to be bothered by it right now.”

~

  
  
  


“This is so fucking ridiculous.” Rhodey said as he got out of the plane after a red eye flight home, “Locking everyone out. Refusing to answer his phone. I’ll kill him when I get there. I will. Strangle him dead.”

Pepper on the other end of the phone gave a laugh but there was a lack of humor in it, “He won’t even let in Peter and I so I don’t know how you’re planning to get in there.”

“Friday will let me in.” Rhodey said with confidence, “Because I didn’t fly back for no reason.”

~

Rhodey got to the tower and he was correct that Friday let him in but when he asked to be taken to the penthouse he hit a roadblock.

“I apologize, but I am unable to honor that request per the boss’s orders.” Friday told him.

“Override.” Rhodey told her, “Per the ‘Peter’s in trouble’ protocol.”

The elevator started moving. Rhodey knew Tony would hurt him for using that in a situation like this but someone needed to get into that penthouse and make sure he was alive. It was his best friend so he should be the one to do it.

Rhodey found the penthouse quiet and dark. He made his way to Tony room and found him lying in bed awake, staring blankly, “Tones?”

“You shouldn’t be here.” Tony told him, “You lied to Friday.”

“How do you know Peter isn’t in trouble? You ignored his phone calls too.” Rhodey raised a brow.

“Happy’s got it.”

“Hmm.” Rhodey grabbed the remote and pulled up a chair, “What should we watch?”

“Leave me alone.”

“So you can stay in your puddle of sadness alone. No thanks. I’ll join you.” Rhodey turned on a house hunting show quietly in the background.

“I think something’s wrong with me. I’m broken or something. What kind of messed up person pushes the people they love away and locks everyone out. Something could have happened to Peter and I wouldn’t have known. I don’t deserve him.” Tony’s voice cracked and a tear leaked down his cheek..

  
  


“Peter’s fine. He’s worried about you, but he’s fine.” Rhodey reassured him, “I’m more concerned about why you think you’re messed up.”

“I’m not happy. I should be grateful and I should love life, but I don’t and I’m not. What’s wrong with me?”

“It sounds like you’re depressed and need some help.” Rhodey told his friend softly.

“Like medication?” Tony asked.

“Probably. I’ll call Dr. Cho.” Rhodey told him as he pulled out his phone.

~

“This isn’t my speciality, but I do agree with you that he’s depressed.” Dr. Cho explained as they walked down the hallway away from Tony’s room later that day, “I’m going to get him a prescription for something, but it takes a few weeks to really start working and he’s got to be consistent about taking it. I also think he should go back to therapy. He’s been through a lot. We as humans don’t heal overnight from trauma.”

  
  


“I’ll drag him there myself if I have to and he’ll take the medication. I’m going to take an emergency leave from work for a few weeks.” Rhodey gave his word to the doctor.

~

It had been a couple of weeks since Peter had been at the tower but Rhodey had assured him that Friday wouldn’t lock him out anymore and that they were working on what had caused Tony to lock them all out. He hadn’t planned to come but had forgotten his key to the apartment and May was still at work. It was too cold for him to be outside for hours while he waited.

Rhodey stepped out of the kitchen and paused in shock, “Pete! You finally came.”

“He probably doesn’t want me here. I locked myself out though so I didn’t know where else to go, but I can leave. I’ll just wait outside until May gets home. It’s no big deal, really!” Peter rambled nervously.

“Hold up. You don’t have to leave. I told you it’s okay to come. Tony might like to see you, but I’m going to warn you. He’s on a new medication so he’s a bit of a train wreck right now with his emotions. You’re going to have to give some grace for that.” Rhodey gave the kid a side hug leading him down the hall.

“Is he mad at me?” Peter paused at the door.

“NO! He’s just going through a rough patch. He misses you. I promise!”

~

Peter walked into the room quietly. He found Tony lying in bed watching a movie., “Mr. Stark?”

Peter moved further into the room and set his backpack down on the floor. It seemed like Tony was sad. He knew how to help someone who was sad. He had learned from the best. Peter climbed onto the large bed and cuddled close to Tony who made room for him.

“I had a good day at school today. We’re working on this fun science project that I could use your help with when you’re feeling better. Oh, and when I was patrolling the other day I saw the cutest thing; a proposal! Spoiler alert—She said yes.”

Peter felt a hand run through his curls so he took that as his cue to keep telling Tony about good things that had happened recently. May always talked to him about good things when he was sad so that he didn’t feel as awful, “Ned dared me that I couldn’t eat 25 tacos so I ate 30. He had to pay me $10 dollars for winning, but I used that money to buy us ice cream. He’s still my best friend, ya know? Oh! Oh! Oh! I went to SI and saw Pepper there the other day. I needed a signature for the internship and you weren’t answering so she took me out to lunch and we had a good talk. It was fun. Anyhow, I just want you to know lots of good things are happening in the world.”

~

“Rhodey!” Peter yelled.

Rhodey paused in the kitchen, “Yeah, Pete?”

“He’s crying again!” Peter yelled, sounding more distressed than the first time this happened during his visit.

“It’s the meds! They are putting him on an emotional rollercoaster!” Rhodey yelled back, “Just, umm, hug him, or something!”

“Alright! I’ll do—-Something!”

~

Rhodey walked into the room carrying a cup of coffee and found Peter telling Tony a bunch of good things that had happened in his day recently while he hugged him. Peter paused and tried to pull away once Tony stopped crying, but Tony held onto his hand.

“Keep going. Tell me more.” He told the kid.

Peter smiled, “Oh! Did I tell you about getting gum stuck in my hair?”

“How is that a good thing?” Tony rolled his eyes.

“Well MJ gave me a hug to make me feel better.”

“Ahh. You lose hair getting it out?” Tony’s eyes crinkled with laughter for the first time in weeks.

Peter pulled at his hair revealing a bald spot he had covered up, “You know it.”

“Only you, Kid.”

“I’d shave my whole head to keep that smile on your face.” Peter told him seriously.

“You guys are going to make me cry.” Rhodey cleared his throat, “Let’s just play a board game or something. I think it’s time for Tony to get out of bed today.”

“I don’t want to.” Tony mumbled.

“I’ll help you!” Peter encouraged.

“Fine. If it’s for the kid.”

~

Weeks later.*

Tony walked into his lab and Dum-E rolled over quickly and started beeping and waving his arm, “I know! I know. You felt like I left you, but I would never. I was just going through something. I’m better now.”

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!
> 
> THIS WRITER RUNS ON COMMENTS AND KUDOS!
> 
> LOVE YOU 3000!


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